Surviving the First Month With Twins

Everyone always tells you to cherish every moment with your children because time will sure fly by. It is hard to believe that tomorrow our girls will be four weeks old already!

In the midst of our sleep deprivation, approximately 25 daily diaper changes, and 8-12 feedings per day; the last four weeks seem like a little bit of a blur and our girls are really growing right before our very eyes!

When the girls were born they weighed in at 5lbs 11oz (Katelyn) and 5lbs 6oz (Chelsea). We had an appointment on Tuesday and now the girls are 6lbs 6oz and 6lbs 2oz.

For anyone with twins, we have come up with a

Top 10 list on how to survive the first month with two newborns.

1. Forget what you thought the first month would be like. Just like your birth plan, somehow, some way, it will be different.

2. Encourage the help! Our family has been here for 3 of the first 4 weeks. Let them help with the cooking, cleaning, diapers, late-night feedings, and most of all, let you get some sleep!

3. Sleep when the babies sleep. This is much easier said than done (especially with two)! Again, let the family help and sleep when you can – you will be thankful at the late night feedings that you got the naps in!

4. Don’t forget to eat! As hard as it is, you have to take care of yourself in order to take care of the babies. Have quick snacks around that are easy to grab. Let you family cook big meals that can be frozen and heated up later or let friends drop by to see the babies and bring food to share!

5. Try (operative word here) to get the twins on the same feeding schedule – especially important for late-night feedings. It’s a lot easier to get up 3 times in the middle of the night and feed both of them at the same time (with your spouse) then getting up every hour to feed them separately.

6. Accept that there is no such thing as running a quick errand. Once the twins are changed, fed, burped and ready to sleep, there is a good chance one of them will be ready to wake up again to repeat. You will not get out the door as quickly as you used too.

8. Set simple daily goals for yourself! My two daily goals are to take a shower and get fresh air – even if that means just going to the mail box.

9. If you are bottle feeding, stay organized. Keep everything you need for formula preparation together. Before bed, prepare the bottles by measuring the water and having the formula ready to go.

10. Remember to enjoy the babies!! The first few days and weeks may be a little rough. You will be tired and sometimes a little stressed. Soak in the joyful parts of the day and cherish every minute you have with them – even the 3 a.m. feedings. The first few months will be gone before you know it!